RISE May-June 2009 - University of Salford

RISE! Research Innovation and Internationalisation News
US NAVAL HISTORICAL PRIZE
University of Salford’s Dr. Douglas Ford has been awarded
the 2008 Rear Admiral Ernest M. Eller Naval History Prize,
awarded by the US Naval Historical Centre and the US Naval
Historical Foundation, for the best article in a professional
journal during a given year (2007).
The article explains the features which led the US Navy to underestimate
the capabilities of the Japanese navy during the interwar years and
illustrates how the shortage of reliable information was a key problem
which hindered the Americans’ capacity to develop a realistic
understanding of their adversary. The misperceptions, in turn,
prevented the US Navy from developing an effective method of
combating the Imperial Japanese fleet. Douglas, a full time lecturer in
Military History at the School of ESPaCH and member of European
Studies Research Institute, has published several scholarly articles on
British and US intelligence on Japan’s armed forces during the Pacific
War, which have appeared in leading international journals, as well as a
book, Britain’s Secret War Against Japan, 1937-45 (Routledge, 2006).
Douglas is currently preparing a monograph on US intelligence and the
Japanese navy during the Pacific War.
For more information on Douglas’ work please contact him at:
d.ford@salford.ac.uk
SALFORD RESEARCH,
MUSIC AND POETRY
Dr. Judy Kendall, currently researching into the parallels
between music and poetry, and how to map music lexicon
and theory on to the process of composition and
performance of poetry, recently held a workshop
where she developed and wrote the lyrics for a lullaby for
the community acapella choir, Ordsall Acapella Singers.
The choir is based in Ordsall Everyone Community Centre. The singers
are a community group boasting members from all over Salford, of all
ages and from a variety of backgrounds. A significant proportion of
members come from the Ordsall estate.
Several other members work at Salford University. The lullaby was
commissioned by Ordsall Hall to celebrate its refurbishments.
The music to the lullaby chorus was written by the choir’s Director, Jeff
Borradaile, and the verses were sung extempore by members of the
choir at two concerts this February at Ordsall Hall. The choir will
continue to perform the lullaby at its regular concerts as part of their
efforts to represent the spirit of Ordsall Hall.
If you would like to know more about Judy’s research project please
contact her at: j.kendall@salford.ac.uk
For those who might want to book or join the choir please contact
Gail Skelly: on 0161 848 8779
To find out more about Ordsall Hall please visit:
http://www.salford.gov.uk/leisure/museums/ordsallhall/
ghostcam/ordsallhall-history.htm
COMMUNITY COHESION
A Salford academic has warned that the UK trend for
segregated neighbourhoods is undermining community
cohesion – potentially leading to community fragmentation,
economic instability and poor living standards.
Professor Andy Steele from the Research Institute for the Built & Human
Environment, speaking recently at the International Research week,
hascautioned that isolated communities such as retirement villages,
‘hotel-style’ city centre living, and close-knit Asian areas are
characterised by lifestyle aspirations rather than real need, and could be
unsustainable in the future. He further warns that the UK trend for
segregated neighbourhoods is undermining community
cohesion – potentially leading to community fragmentation, economic
instability and poor living standards. He goes on to point out that some
segregated Asian communities are centred on just two or three streets.
Their desire to stay in that community means they are sometimes
willing to suffer poor standards such as damp. This could lead to
economic vulnerability. Similarly young professionals living in ‘hotel
style’ apartments, and older middle-class white people in USA-style
retirement villages are cut off from wider society.” The solution, he
suggests, is mixed communities of older and younger people, black and
minority ethnic groups, Gypsies and Travellers, and economic migrants
- promoting diversity at a local level and uniting diverse social groups.
He concluded by saying: “I would seriously question whether these
kinds of segregated housing communities are responding to a need or
creating a new market. Is it what people want or is it the housing
industry’s idea of community”
If you would like more information on Professor Steele’s work please
contact him on: a.steele@salford.ac.uk
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